The Pakistani state is accused of escalating its harassment of Baloch in Dalbandin, a city in Chagai district of Balochistan, since January 25 when a large political gathering was held there to pay tribute to those who have been murdered and to declare that the date would be observed as Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day.
“Harassment and threats are nothing new. We Baloch have faced the state’s genocidal policies for decades,” said Dr Mahrang Baloch, a leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee [BYC], which had organised the gathering. “The state has killed our people and refused to return their bodies to their families. The authorities assumed that no one would come forward to remember or claim them, but we are claiming those unclaimed bodies. Baloch Genocide Remembrance Day will be observed every year.”
“The state has made things even worse after the jalsa [a meeting or gathering],” Mahrang added.
Threats, FIRs
The local administration, police, and security agencies have threatened people, warning them that no one who assisted or participated in BYC’s jalsa would be spared, she said.
Mahrang told The Wire that whenever the BYC holds a jalsa, those who participate or assist in organising the peaceful gathering are threatened and harassed.
The state used every possible tactic to disrupt the jalsa in Dalbandin, Mahrang said. “Eight First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed against me, and seven FIRs have been filed against BYC members,” she added.
The Balochistan government shut down Internet and communication services in all areas wherever BYC was holding corner meetings, including on January 25, she said.
The police had detained a driver and seized a container used during the jalsa, Mahrang said, adding that people who are the sole providers for their families are being threatened by the local authorities.
Bebarg Baloch, a member of the BYC central committee, said that the government had made every attempt to prevent the jalsa. The local administration warned bus services not to cooperate with the BYC, but people arrived in Dalbandin two to three days early to participate in the gathering, he said.
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Rich in natural resources, Dalbandin is plagued by destitution, with even basic health facilities unavailable. By hosting the gathering in one of the most overlooked areas in Balochistan, the BYC was aiming to involve residents in the political process.
Asked about the response in Dalbandin, where political parties show little interest in activism, Mahrang said the people opened their doors for the participants and helped the BYC organise the gathering. “If we succeeded in holding the jalsa, it was only because of the people of Dalbandin,” she said.
Fourth Schedule
Mahrang said that Baloch have been enduring the hardships of the Fourth Schedule, under which agencies and police can summon anyone and require them to report regularly, and that many are now forced to visit their local police stations routinely.
Speaking with frustration, she pointed out that Balochistan lacks proper health facilities, forcing people to travel to Karachi – the capital of Sindh province – for medical treatment. However, even those seeking medical care are not permitted to report at police stations in Karachi; instead, they must return to their local police station in Baloch to check in. She described this as a form of torture inflicted by the state.
Bebarg said that during the jalsa period, people listed on the Fourth Schedule were forced to report to police stations and made to wait eight to ten hours just to sign in. The police aimed to prevent them from participating in the gathering, he said.
Asked how many people were on the Fourth Schedule, he said the Balochistan government had not released a full list but occasionally revealed names. “Only those who are supporters of the government and agencies are not on the Fourth Schedule. The rest of Balochistan is on the list, with names being revealed from time to time,” Bebarg added.
“Pakistani state has adopted a China-like genocide policy to kill Baloch,” said Mahrang.
China has been accused of committing genocide against the Uyghur population in Xinjiang.
Karachi violence
Mahrang accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh of unleashing brutal violence against BYC members who were holding a corner meeting in Lyari, Karachi, on January 18 in connection with the jalsa in Dalbandin. The police brutally tortured and dragged BYC members indiscriminately, she said, adding that even male officers were involved in beating women protesters.
Baloch who travel to Karachi for medical treatment are required to stay with relatives, Mahrang said. However, those relatives are asked to submit the details of anyone from Balochistan staying with them. As a result, Baloch can no longer stay with their relatives without being monitored, and those who do are placed under surveillance.
Human rights silence
Mahrang criticised human rights organisations in Pakistan, saying they often represent the state’s narrative. Recent reports had failed to mention violence against Baloch despite the BYC repeatedly sending reports to these organisations, she said. Baloch concerns are ignored unless cases gain international attention, she added. “Baloch no longer expect human rights organisations in the country to be the voice of their sufferings,” Mahrang said.
Increase in abduction
Asked about the increase in reports of abduction, Mahrang said that countless people have been abducted – over 200 in just one month – and that families of the victims are often threatened that if they approach the BYC, their son will either be killed or never released.
She shared an example from Awaran, where a family held a protest and the BYC supported them. The local administration warned the family that if they involved the BYC, the administration would refuse to cooperate. The BYC stepped back out of concern for the family’s safety, but nothing came of the efforts.
“Imagine the life of Baloch, who can neither protest against injustice nor seek assistance to know the whereabouts of their beloved ones,” Mahrang said, her voice filled with sorrow.
She continued: “We will not only fight against threats in Dalbandin, but across all of Balochistan. We will never let anyone forget how the state has treated Baloch with brutality.”
